Game apparatus.



S. BRISTOW. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1907.

Patented July 6, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL BRISTOW, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

GAME APPARATUS.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL Bnisrow, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which. the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of gameboards having a smooth surface over which balls may be propelled.

The object is to improve generally upon such game-boards; to provide a game-board of this class which may be adapted to a great variety of games with balls, ranging from a most simple form of game to intricate games and games of deeper interest; to provide a game-board of this class which may be adapted both to the parlor table and the public hall and elsewhere; to provide the various parts and combinations and improvements hereinafter set forth. And the invention consists of the parts, improvements, and combinations herein described and claimed.

In the drawings accompanying and form ing part of this specification and in the description thereof, I have shown my invention in its preferred form, and have shown what I deem to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof; but obvious changes in form, proportions, and material, the transposition of parts, and the substitution of equivalent members, may be resorted to, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a game-board made in accordance with my invention, some of the concealed parts being shown in dotted outline in order to show their relative positions. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the distributing device through the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

5 is a circular board provided with two solidly attached feet 6, 6 and with a foot 7 which is screwed into the board 8 is a pivot or standard removably mounted upon the center of the board and adapted to support the game-board proper 9. The purpose of the board 5 is to provide a per- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 29, 1907.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Serial No. 40 L382.

fectly level surface upon which the gameboard. proper may be rotated, so that the game-board will have the same degree of incline at all points. To get the board. 5 in a level position, place it on the table or other surface, then place a ball on the surface of the leveling-board. If the ball stays still, we know that the board is level. if the ball rolls to one side, then turn the board so that the screw foot 7 is at the point where the ball rolled off; by turning the screw, the board may be made level. This leveling board is for use especially where my game-board is placed on a table or other surface.

The game-board proper has a smooth surface 10 over which the balls may roll, and is preferably circular in contour; it is provided. with feet 11, 11 which rest on the leveling board 5, the game-board being supported. on the pivot 8 and said feet so as to incline at a gentle angle, and being adapted to be rotated about on the pivot to bring the lower edge to the player at any point around the table. Preferably the pivot 8 is slightly off center with relation to the gameboard so as to cause the heavier end always to rest on the feet 11, 11.

Around the outer edge of the game-board is a groove, or channel, or gutter 12 l'iaving a bottom 18 and an outer wall. 14; the outer wall extends up higher than the surface. of the gameboard, and the inner face of the wall is made with a slant outwardly from the top toward the bottom, and this slant or bevel preferably extends down just below the level of the surface of the game-board. The purpose of the gutter is .not only that the balls will roll thereinto, but also that wherever the balls do roll thereinto, they will also roll down to the lower side of the game-board, where the player is located. The purpose of the slanting inner face of the outer wall of the gutter, is, that when the balls are shot against the said wall even with great speed, the slant will throw the ball down into the gutter, thus preventing the ball from rebounding onto the surface of the game-board. The purpose in setting the game-board at an angle is not only so that the balls will roll back to the lower edge and thus be easy of access to the player, but also so that the target balls may be propelled thereover in a parabolic curve, and so that they will stay longer on the game-board, and. so

that they will thus make a longer continued I 27, 27 to form a series of pockets 28, 29, 30,

n'ioving target and yet a quite uncertain one. This feature will be more readily appre 'iatcd in connection with a (listributer of a kind hereinafter described, whereby the target balls are rolled up the incline at uncertain angles and at varying speeds. Another object accomplished by pivoting the gameboard with the slanting surface so that it revolws thereon in a horizontal plane, is that while a ball. is rolling over the surface, the player may, by quickly or suddenly turning the game-board on the pivot, change the relative direction of travel of the ball, thus giving the player an additional means for controlling the travel of the ball. as to direction. This feature is especially appreciable when the ball is caused to describe the parabolic curve herein explained, because of its slow travel and the opportunity thereby afforded the player for shifting the gameboard on the pivot and altering the direction of travel of the ball.

it a suitable place, preferably just to one side of the lowest point of the game-board, the on tel edge or wall of the gutter is recessed. as at 16. A plate, preferably of metal, 17, is placed across the gutter (permitting the balls to roll tliereunder). Preferably the top of the cut-away portion is just above the surface of the game-board so as to form a ridge or shoulder 18 to prevent the balls from rolling oil". The plate is also provided. with a groove 19 to hold number of balls in store. This plate is the shooting plate, and is especially adapted for use in connection with the shooting device shown in my Patent No. 825,890. The groove 19 forms a convenient place for holding the balls from which they may be taken one at a time by that shooting implement without being touched. by the hands.

20 is a distributor which may be removably mounted on the game-board by means of dowel pins 2].. It has an opening or chute extending through the upper portion thereof which is preferably irregular in form, this irregularity consisting, for instance, of a stop or shelf 23 on which the ball strikes and by which it may be variously diverted on being dropped into the upper end of the opening 22; and from the lower end of the opening the ball drops on the slanting and rounded. surface 24, from which it rolls up on the inclined surface of the game-board at various angles. The momentum acquired by the ball in falling through the distributor may not be enough to carry it to the upper edge of the game board, but merely to cause it to pass over the board in a curve as heretofore explained. A groove 25 may be formed in the upper face of the distributor for the purpose of holding a number of target balls in store.

26 is a plate romovably fitted into the gut ter 12and provided with a series of partitions I 31, the upper edges of the "partitions being preferably just below the surface of the gameboard so that the balls may be shot into the pockets from the surface of the game-board. The pockets may obviously be easily shifted. to different positions in the gutter or lifted out of the gutter, as when it is desired to use the gameboard without the pockets, and the calls accumulating in the pockets may be thrown onto the surface of the gamaboard by merely lifting up the pockets, and then the balls will roll down to the lower edge of the game-board.

The distributor and the shooting plate are preferably located in about the relative positions at the lower end of the game-board shown in Fig. 1.

The main feature of the game to be played is that one ball (the target ball) shall he rolled over the game-board, as by dro i ping it through the distributor, and another ball shall be projected to hit the target ball. Both operations may be performed by the same player, but usually the targetballs will be handled by one player while his opponent does the shooting. By the use of a suitable shooting device, the ball may be shot with accuracy, according to the skill of the player, while the distributor affords an element of chance as to the direction ant. s1 eed of the target. A simple form of playing with my invention is where one person (.l1'O".S the b alls and his opponent shoots at them; in such case the pockets may be removed, permitting the balls to rollback down to the players end of the board, the count being made according to the number of hits. Another form is where it is the object of the shooter to knock the target balls into the pockets 28, 29, 30, 31, a greater credit being given where the target ball is knocked into the middle pocket; or the object being to place one ball in each of a series of pockets, greater credit being given for the largest series thus filled with one ball each, and demerits b eing recorded against one who places more than one ball in the same pocket. Obviously, these are but illustrations of the various games that may be played with my invention; it being a feature of my invention, however, that it may be used without any great degree of skill and yet with interest or it may be the subject for expert skill.

In using some kinds of shooting devices which are adapted to cooperate with the shooting plate, it is desirable that the shooting plate be made of a hard substance, so that the ball may be shot smoothly forward without bounding; and the depression 16 permits that shooting device to be used on the ball at the outer edge of the game-board without interference from the outer wall of the gutter, which clearly is more desirable than reaching over the wall or onto the surface of the game-board. The depression gives ample clearance for the shooting device and. the hand. which manipulates it.

I claim 1. A game-board having a gutter adjacent to its edge and encircling the central portion thereof, said gutter being bounded on the outer side by a wall extending higher than the upper surface of the gainic-board and said wall having its inner face slanting outwardly from the top toward the bottom.

2. A game-board having a sloping upper surface and having a gutter adjacent to its edge and eiiicircling the central portion thereof, said. gutter being bounded. on the outer side by a wall extending higher than the upper surface of the game-board and. said wall having its inner face slanting outwardly from the top toward the bottom.

3. A game-board having a flat sloping upper surface and having a gutter adjacent to its edge and encircling the central portion thereof, said gutter being bounded on the outer side by a wall extending higher than the upper surface of the gzune-beard and said wall having its inner face slanting outwardly from the top toward the bottom.

l. A gaine-board having a ll at sloping upper surface and having a gutter adjacent to its edge and encircling the central portion. thereof, said gutter being bounded on the outer side by a Wall extending higher than the upper surface of the game-board and. said Wall having its inner face slanting outwardly from the top toward the bottom and having at one point a depression, a plate extending across the gutter from the depression to the surface of the gaine-boz'ird and provided with a groove for holding in store a number of balls, and the game-board being formed with a ridge adjacent to the plate to keep the balls from. rolling off, and a suitable distributor.

5. The combination of a circular gameboard having a sloping upper surface and having a gutter adjacent to its edge and encircling the central portion thereof, said gutter having a wall for its outer boundary extending up higher than the surface of the game-board, said wall having its inner face slanting from the top toward the bottom outwardly and said wall having a depression near the lower side of the game-board, a plate spanning the gutter from the depression to the surface of the ganieboard, and a suitable distributer located near the lower side of the game-board.

6. The combination of a base having a ilat level upper surface, a perpendicular pivot set thereon, a circular game-board mountedv on the pivot so as to rotate in a horizontal plane, said game-board having a sloping upper sur face and having a gutter adjacent to its edge and encircling the central portion thereof, said gutter having a wall for its outer boundary which extends up higher than the surface of the game-board and. said wall having its inner face slanting outwardly from the top toward the bottom and having a depres sion near the lower side of the game-board, a plate spanning the gutter from the depression to the surface of the game-board andv provided with. a groove to hold in store a number of balls and said game-board being formed with a shoulder ad acent to the plate for keeping the balls from rolling oil, a suitable distributor located near the lower side of the game-hoard, and a series of removable pockets fitted into the gutter and coinprisii'ig base and a series of transverse partitions nioinited on the base.

'7. A gaincdioard. having a gutter adjacent to its edge and. encircling the central portion thereof, an outer wall for the gutter extending up higher than the surface of the gameboard, and having a drprcssion, am! a plate spanning the gutter from the depression to the surface of the game-board.

8. A game-hoard having a gutter adjacent to its edge and. encircling the central portion thereof, an outer wall for the gutter extending up higher than the surface of theganieboard, and having a depression, and a plate sj'ianning' the gutter from the depression to the surface of the gainelmard, said. plate hein g provided with. a groove to hol l in store a number of balls, and said gain-r a lv being formed with a shoulder adj ent to the plate for preventing the balls from rolling off.

9. A gamcdxoanl having a gutter adj acent to its edge, an. outer wall for the gutter extending up higher than the surface of the game-heard, and a plate spanning 'ho gutter and. provided with a groove to hold in store a number of halls.

10. A. gains-hoard having gutter adjacent to its edge and encircling the central portion thereof, an. outer wall for the gutter extending up higher than the surf d of the game-board, and a plate spanning a gutter and provided with a groove to hold in store a number of balls, andsaid game-ho rd being formed with a shoulder adj:'icent to the plate to prevent the balls fromv rolling olli'.

11. A game-hoard having a gutter cent to its edge, and a shooting plate ning the gutter.

12. A gaine-board having a gutter cent to its edge and a shooting plate spanning the gutter and provided. with a groove for holding in. store a number of balls.

13. A gaine board homing a shooting plate mounted thereon, said plate being provided with groove for holding in store a number of balls.

14. The combination of a game-board and a shooting plate mounted. therecui, said plate being provided. with a groove to hold .in store a nuitnber of balls and said. gainedioard being adj as p an.-

ad jato keep the balls from rolling olf.

15. The combination of a game-board hav ing a sloping upper surface, and a shooting plate mounted thereon, said plate being formed with a groove to hold. in store a numberof balls and said game-board being formed with. a shoulder adjacent to the plate to prevent the balls from rolling off.

16. A game-hoard having a leveling device lmving a flat smooth upper surface and provided with three short legs or bearings on its under side, one of the legs or bearings being vertically adjustable, and a supporting pivot on the upper face of the leveling device.

17. A game-board having a sloping upper surface, a vertical pivot, a circular plate having a 'l lat upper surface, said pivot being centrally disposed on said plate, and said gameboard being rotatably supported on the pivot and on the surface of said. plate, three legs on the under side of the plate, one of the legs being vertically adjustable.

.18. A game-board having a leveling device comprising a circular plate provided with two solidly attached legs and one adjustably attached leg or bearing, and a supporting pivot for the game-board on the upper surface of the leveling device at its center.

19. The combination of a supporting frame, a perpendicular pivot mounted thereon, a game-board mounted on the pivot having a flat sloping upper surface, and a device capable of throwing a ball up the surface of the game-board and at an angle to the line of slant of said surface.

20. The combination of a support, a vertical pivot thereon, a game-board mounted on. the pivot so as to revolve thereabout in a horizontal plane and having a flat sloping upper surface, and a means for projecting a ball up the game-board and at an angle to the direction of slant of the surface.

21.. The combination of a support, a vertical pivot thereon, and a game-board mounted on the pivot so as to be rotatable thereon in a horizontal plane, said gameboard having a flat upper surface sloping from one end of the game board to the other.

22. The combination of a support, a vertical pivot thereon, and a game-board having a flat sloping upper surface, said game-board being mounted on the pivot so as tobe rotatable in a horizontal plane and to maintain its said upper surface at the same slant as it revolves past each point around the pivot.

23. In a game apparatus, the combination of a game-board having a sloping upper surface, and a distributing device having an irregular passage through the upper portion thereof and a surface adjacent to the gameboard surface under said passage inclined oppositely to the slope of the game-board surface.

2 l. In a game apparatus, the combination of a game-board having a sloping upper surface, and a distributing device having an irregular passage through the upper portion thereof and having adjacent to the gameboard surface under said passage an inclined surface portions of which are disposed at various angles to the direction of the slope of the game-board. surface, whereby said distributing device is adapted to discharge a ball inserted therein up the game-board surface in various directions.

25. In a game apparatus, the combination of a game-board having a sloping upper surface, and a distributing device located at the lower end of the game-board and having a distributing surface terminating at its lower end above and adjacent to the gameboard surface, said distributing surface having a portion inclined oppositely to the gameboard surface and an inclined portion disposed at an angle to the direction of the slope of the game-board surface; whereby a ball passing down the surface of the distributing device is caused to roll up the gameboard surface in various and uncertain directions, and to roll over the game-board surface in a curve; substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of witnesses.

SAMUEL BRISTO'W.

Vfitnesses Z. T. FIsI-IER, C. J. RosEN. 

